The Inn of Murder
by Misao's angel
Summary: A high school student named Kaoru, her little brother Yahiko, a ex-streetfighter Sanosuke, A polite detective named Kenshin and the silent woman Tomoe,and Misao, all come to stay at a mysterious inn one night, never to escape. Who is the murderer? Find ou
1. Kaoru

The Inn of Murder  
  
Chapter one- Kaoru  
  
By Misao's Angel  
  
It was the middle of winter; snow fell as though they were filling in for the dead sakura, gently gliding down the cold crisp air, coating everything it could near. It fell upon the towering trees, the houses, the driveways... It even made it's self home on the large van resting outside the Kamiya residence. The wind began to blow harder, shaking the gentle branches of the trees and creating the illusion of a wolf's howl.  
  
Kamiya Kaoru hugged herself tighter. She never liked the cold, but she could never avoid the unpleasant feeling. Usually on a day such as this she was one to be watching television on her favorite couch by the heater, treating her frigid tongue to a cup of hot chocolate. But today was different.  
  
Today her mother was DIEING.  
  
It had been three years since she had first caught the deadly disease, but the only clues we had of its existence were her constant grunts and moaning. None of them believed her then. Her little brother and herself always knew Mother as one who hungered pity. She would tell them that they were so mean to her, that they didn't love her... But all she wanted was for them to reassure her that they did. But when they learned from the doctor that this time she WASN'T faking, their lives turned for the worse.  
  
When their mom first caught the disease, it was known by the doctor that there was no yet found cure. It was a constant subject of concern for the younger brother. He would always tell them that if scientists couldn't find a cure soon, he would. He was always interested in the sciences, anything from biology to science fiction. He would never fail to reassure her that he would be able to cure her one day. He was very arrogant.  
  
But that morning, the family heard some interesting news on the radio. It seemed that a famous researcher in Kyushu found a cure. But to make the long, perilous trip from Hokkaido... This was something Kaoru and her little brother would have to do alone. Kaoru was responsible enough to pack what she believed they needed for them, while her little brother got ready. When everything was set to go, Kaoru put her newly earned license to the test and set out to the harbor, about 7 hours away judging by how icy the roads looked.  
  
It grew dark out quicker than expected. Kaoru had never driven this far before in her life, and forgot to think of a place to rest. She held her favorite pendant nearer to her heart... It was supposed to protect her.  
  
Ever since Kaoru was a child, she had the gift, if you call it that, to see ghosts. She never wanted them... She was not fond of the wrinkled hands of her departed grandmother grabbing at her ankles, or the young girl who never said anything, just stared at her with large, empty eyes... Or the newest of the collection, the young man whose chest was crushed, bleeding profusely from his mouth and neck where a shard of glass pierced it. No, she was not one to easily accept these visitors.  
  
So when the trees that lined the thin, bumpy road they were following began to look like giant, bloodthirsty hands crawling from the depths of hell, Kaoru was ready to find an inn to rest at.  
  
After a perilous hour of searching, Kaoru finally came around such a place. It was a large building, harboring at least two hundred rooms with its large, wooden doors. It had long, oak wood walls, slightly rotting around the roof, which was also made of wood, yet looked sturdy enough to last them the night. Kaoru was glad to have finally reached an inn...  
  
Despite the feeling of fear that clenched her heart when she entered.  
  
To be continued.  
  
So people, how was chapter one? This will probably be the shortest of all of the chapters. Don't worry though, all the good stuff will come soon! By the way, PLEASE R&R!!!!! Thank you! 


	2. Sanosuke

Warning! There is a slight amount of ahem language in this chapter. Beware.  
  
The Inn of Murder  
  
Chapter 2- Sanosuke  
  
By Misao's Angel  
  
In a cold, damp alley, paint was decorating the side of an old brick wall. With the swift wave of a hand, one of two men was coloring the dullness of the structure armed with only a spray can. The other man there just leaned against that very same wall, arms crossed, scowl on his young, handsome face. Both men had a red bandana tied around their foreheads.  
  
"Hey, Sano, you really should stop doing this shit. They are going to catch you sooner or later."  
  
"You mean the police? They don't give a rat's ass about shit like this. They only care about whatever might benefit them."  
  
"Not the police Sano, Saito's gang."  
  
"Well I'm almost done anyway. Why do you always have to be such a nag Katsu?"  
  
Despite the dismiss of such a suggestion, it happened to be the police who neared the same alley that night.  
  
"SHIT!!! The police!"  
  
"What did I tell you?"  
  
"If you have time to nag, you have time to run! Move it!!"  
  
The two men hurried down the other side of the alley, not allowing fences or even walls to stop them in their desperate attempt to escape. The police were closing in on them, the advantage of cars making the chase faster.  
  
The two men silently decided to separate, in hopes of at least one waking up the next day free from a cage surrounded by bars. The taller one, with short, spiky chocolate brown hair charged off towards a forest, while the other, with a long, dark purple main slapping at his face as he ran, sped towards his home in the city. The two men never met again.  
  
----------  
  
The former ran as fast as his tired legs would allow. With great difficulty he dodged tree after tree, branch after branch, failing to decrease in speed no matter what obstacles may obscure his path. Despite the throbbing contortions of his lungs, the aching wear his feet experienced, and the almost too fast beating of his heart... He ran.  
  
---------  
  
The other man ran past the lighted buildings of the brothels, the bustle of the movie theaters... and was only a margin away from his small apartment. He exhausted his lungs, for he was never famous for his track capabilities. In fact, he normally HATED to run. He hated the feeling of constant pain in his heart, his legs... But tonight was different. He had a promise to keep and he WOULD survive this, he WOULD get away from this tonight.  
  
He hoped.  
  
---------  
  
When the night began to mix with the natural darkness of the forest, the taller of the two men, named Sanosuke, began to allow feelings of fear intermix with the loud 'thumps' of his heart. He was never fond of the essence of the dead, called ghosts by some, though the only one who new of his fear was his partner in tonight's activity, and his best friend, Katsu. He had always comforted him on nights such as these, when the only blanket they had was the cloak of the night. Sanosuke feared the dark as well, but only because of the higher possibility for ghosts to visit him. He couldn't stand the thought of that.  
  
When a slight rustle of leaves reacted to the wind's constant pushing, Sanosuke ran even faster, and longer, then he ever had in his entire life.  
  
-----------  
  
Katsu failed to pay attention to any of his surroundings. He just ran, ran for all of eternity, thoughts driven by the determination caused by a single promise...  
  
"'Katsu... I... I love you. You have brought a meaning to my existence... A heart to this lump of flesh. Please will you return to me, and take my hand in a vow to live and love together forever?'  
  
'I promise I will.'"  
  
Still hearing the load police sirens on his tail, he refused to allow fear of safety stop him...  
  
Even as he ran across the busy highway.  
  
-----------  
  
Sanosuke felt as though he was going to collapse. His knees grew weak, his chest felt like it was about to burst, and cold droplets of sweat coated his forehead.  
  
'Only a little longer...' he kept reassuring himself, 'this forest has GOT to end soon...'  
  
There was then a loud 'THUMP' that shook the trees of the forest... the only witness to its existence being those very trees.  
  
----------  
  
The sun began to rise. A large siren echoed through the silence of the city, but rather than the police approaching, the truck of the ambulance was the one to near the scene. A large plastic bag could be seen, containing something just barely smaller than its maximum capacity. But what lied in that bag...  
  
Was a body.  
  
The body of a young man once named Tsukoika Tsunan... but known to his friends as 'Katsu'.  
  
A crowd surrounded the bloody scene that took place only a few hours before, people of all ages, sizes, genders watched the ambulance give a wordless sign of his failure to survive the attack.  
  
In the crowd many different faces offered their wordless opinions, one woman holding a handkerchief to her face in disgust, an old man shivering at the gore that was displayed in front of him, and a beautiful young woman hunched over, clutching her knees and crying.  
  
-----------  
  
When Sanosuke opened his weary eyes, he noticed that he was no longer in the darkness of the forest. He was in a small room, made entirely of wood, decorated with a painting of a black feline, golden eyes staring outside of the portrait, features of the animal lighted only by the painted moon behind it... and a small strip of Chinese characters. Sanosuke looked around this room, eyes venturing around the walls, the ceiling, even the small desk in the corner.  
  
'This is the weirdest jail I had ever seen.'  
  
Unbeknownst to this man called Sanosuke, this was not a jail at all. In fact, this was probably something much, much, worse...  
  
To be continued.  
  
So people, how was this chapter? Was it a little hard to understand? If so, I am sorry. It just came to me... Well anyway, PLEASE R&R!!! I ALWAYS welcome reviews! No matter what you have to say, feel free to! Next chapter is about Kenshin. 


	3. Kenshin

The Inn of Murder  
  
Chapter 3- Kenshin  
  
By Misao's Angel  
  
In the dark streets of Kyoto, only ten years ago, a serial killer created a legend for himself on these streets. It was said that no one who had seem him had ever survived to see the next day.  
  
His weapon? They say the wounds resemble those of a katana, long gashes tearing open their chests, dismembered body parts, a slit across the jugular... Each murder was different; one way of death was never repeated. In fact, the only similarity they all shared was one strange thing. They all had an X carved on their cheeks.  
  
His name? Some say he sent his victims a warning before he came to claim their lives. It was a message promising that they will be receiving 'Heaven's Justice'. These messages, whether they we e-mails or letters, were always signed with the name 'Hitokiri Battousai.'  
  
His motive? No one ever lived long enough to say.  
  
This murderer, the Hitokiri Battousai, suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth one day. He hasn't been seen since. Some say that he died, all alone by a disease or some other natural cause; while some say he is still alive, hiding in the shadows, waiting to the perfect opportunity to kill again.  
  
But nobody knew for sure.  
  
--------  
  
"Irai? What are you doing?"  
  
"Um... Nothing..." Replied a little boy, no older then the tender age of five.  
  
"You don't want to take a time out, do you?"  
  
"Uh... no..."  
  
"Then don't pull Akane's hair."  
  
"O-Okay" He replied reluctantly. The little girl who's hair lied in his fists stuck her tongue out at Irai.  
  
Himura Kenshin was a very popular teacher at Kodomo No Kokoro elementary school. He was always willing to help out the kids, he let them draw on him when he was 'sleeping', he played ball and tag with them, and he helped them write and read. Some of the kids would not let any of the other teachers teach them. They would always ask for Ken-nii. He would always smile, and graciously accept their offers. That was part of why they loved him so much...  
  
But teaching was only one of his two jobs. The other, a secret only known by he himself, was the dangerous and discreet job of being a detective. His cases were some of the most dangerous, but his unparallelable skill with any weapon saved his life many times.  
  
One of these times was when he was asked to put down a completely insane serial killer that referred to himself as 'Kurogasa'. He seemed to have heard of Kenshin somewhere before, for he was very eager to fight the young detective. Punches were thrown, swords met, and through the bloodshed of the battle one victor emerged. Kurogasa would have survived his wounds of that night... physically at least. Mentally he couldn't take it... which was the cause of his death that night.  
  
Another time he could recall was when he was to deal with a drug dealer, a money drunk man named Takeda Kanryu. The man was raising the money in order to buy weapons, sell them to the government, and receive even MORE money. His mind was said to be intelligent and analytical, but Kenshin only saw it as one controlled by cupidity. The man was foolish enough to raise a gun at their last encounter, and was immediately sent to serve 20 years of prison.  
  
Kenshin was the agency's top employee, and was always asked to carry on the most dangerous cases. In fact, the night before he was given the assignment for the most dangerous case yet...  
  
Strange disappearances were occurring all over the southern parts of Hokkaido... The government feared the 'Hitokiri Battousai' rising again and hired his agency to check it out. As the situation became direr, the agency decided that Kenshin was the only one suited for the job. Thus, he agreed to check the area out that night.  
  
When Kenshin got to his small apartment, he only grabbed a few possessions; some clothes, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and a katana. You can never be too sure.  
  
When he finally jumped into his convertible, he sped towards the city in question. He wasn't completely sure of its whereabouts, but he knew the general direction. He figured he could ask someone along the way for help, if he felt he truly needed it. Too bad the wasn't anyone out there in the freezing cold at 12:00 at night...  
  
Which is why he stopped to rest at a small inn off the side of the road.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Sorry guys.. That was kinda short too. Well, how did ya like it? I'm sorry if it sucks... I didn't mean it... Well, REVIEW PLEASE!!! Next chapter is the grand entrance of Misao. She's the second to last one before the fun stuff begins.  
  



	4. Misao

The Inn Of Murder  
  
Chapter 4- Misao  
  
By Misao's Angel  
  
"Nee Souji-kun? Do you think the blue one is better? Or maybe the red?"  
  
"Actually, I like the blue one, but if you're doing his for Aoshi..."  
  
"The red one it is!"  
  
"Misao-chan!!!" Said a giggling fourteen-year-old boy named Soujiro... He never got angry...  
  
Misao and Soujiro had been irreplaceable friends for as long as either could try to remember. It was said that the only time one was EVER seen without the other, was when they were in their own houses sleeping. The two never raised their voices towards each other, let alone fight. There was no better pair of friends than these two.  
  
Misao was a hyper, happy girl, always needing to be obsessed with something. Whether it was a color, a animal, or even a person Misao would always have a time dedicated to the worship of the chosen obsession. Usualy each obsession only lasted for a week or two. It was almost never anything longer than three. But for the first time ever, Misao gained an obsession that her heart could not let go of. He was a famous actor, with a face that made millions of fangirls squeel in an estatic glee, ice blue eyes that were gentle, yet chilling to the spine when seen on his bad time. His hair was a jet black, jagged bangs hiding small parts of his eyes... making him seem even more mysterious than he was already known for. He was the strong and silent type, never saying more than two words at a time. But one word was all he needed to turn a crowd from board to wild. This man was Shinomori Aoshi.  
  
Soujiro was just a bit jealous of this Aoshi. For a time now, Soujiro had been holding Misao at the closest place to his heart. He had yearned for her heart at the farthest difference, despite the fact that they were the closest of friends. Because to her, they were JUST close friends. And Soujiro excepted that. He didn't mind. Along as she was happy, he was happy. And if her happiness only came when she saw Aoshi, then Soujiro would be happy as well. Right?  
  
Too bad it doesn't always work out that way. The human heart is too cruel to allow it.  
  
It was that day that Soujiro had gotten a hold of a treasure that Misao would want more than anything else in the world.In his hand he held a ticket to actually meet the man. He wanted her to have it. He wanted to give it too her. But if he really wanted to so badly... Why couldn't he?  
  
This was absurd. Impossible. Soujiro was well known for his ever present smile, his laughs, his cheer... But for the first time in his life... The first time he could remember, all alone in his room...  
  
He was crying.  
  
He thought about the absurdity of it all, dried his tears... And decided that by the time the week was over, Misao would be holding this prize in her hand, smiling. A week, huh? That gave Soujiro enough time to think things through. But the true hard part was acting normal... just the same as he always did, whenever she was near. Which was everyday.  
  
But Souiro was already a master at that.  
  
Soujiro gave the calender a quick glance. 'Tuesday, eh?' he questioned. 'This week is going to go by quickly.'  
  
He never knew just how right he was.  
  
Wednesday- Soujiro and Misao sat through the monotony of the eighth grade... Then ran to the movie theater for a rewatching of Shinomori Aoshi's newest movie, "Death on a ladder" (Misao's idea of course)  
  
Thursday- School again, then some ice cream and two hours in the library in order to finnish homework.  
  
The rest of the week was pretty much the same, minor diferences here and there, but the basic schedule was exactly the same. School, entertainment, sleep. The most drastic change was on sunday, when due to the absence of school the schedule just went straight to "entertainment". Basicly, though, the days were the same.  
  
Every day through this repeitive week, Souiro tried continuously to give Misao his gift. But a voice in the back of his head would always stop him, and tell him, "Don't worry about it. You still have time..."  
  
But before he knew it, that time was up. It was tuesday again.  
  
Soujiro put all fear behind him. He was ready. He would finally tell her. And when the time was right, when school was over and he was walking along side of a grinning Misao as they left the arcade, Soujiro did just that.  
  
"Misao-chan?"  
  
"Yeah, Souji-kun?"  
  
"I h-have..." deep breath... "I have some thing for you."  
  
Soujiro held out his trembling hand, revealing the prize he had been waiting an entire week to show her. He did it. He finally gave it to her. Misao couldn't hold back the sudden rush of emotion that caused her arms to wrap around her benefactor's neck, and her lips to steal his breath. A moment of disbelief over took his heart, followed by an eternity of exstacy. For the first time that he could remember, the one he loved showed some affection in return. Even if it was just a way of thanking him for tickets to see someone else... Even if it wasn't really love, Soujiro was greatful.  
  
MIsao waved goodbye, and that night snuck away without her parents' consent to see the actor she had loved so much.  
  
Soujiro had accomplished his goal.  
  
Unfortunatly, nobody had told him not to buy things off the streets...  
  
-------- How was this chapter guys? Sorry it took so long... my internet was being a bitch. Well anyway, This next chapter should not take too long to write, and I will post it as soon as I can!! IT is about Tomoe!! That will be the last chapter before the fun stuff begins!!! And guys... PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!! Thank you!!! 


	5. Tomoe

The Inn of Murder

Chapter 5- Tomoe

By Misao's Angel

What is a smile? Is it the content of your heart displayed on your face? Or is it a cover to come and hide away your pain? Is it a promise, a secret shared between two? Or is it a lie, an illusion, held by only you? Is it the true feeling of happiness? Or is it just a fake?

Happiness. I might have felt that once.

What are tears? Are they the secret to letting go of pain? Or are they there to cleanse a rotten heart? Are they the lonely stars, each a light year apart? Or are they the forgotten wish, that turns a healthy mind insane? Is it a path to mending the pain of sadness? Or just an escape?

Sadness. That is all I feel now.

-------------

One cold night in late December, a young woman waited for her loved one to return. She nervously rubbed her temples, as she leaned upon the windowsill, doing nothing but staring at the darkness of the night...

After three hours of monotony, her eyes began to defy her heart's wishes, and multiplied in weight as each minute passed. She would beg them to remain open... just until he returned...

He left with a friend that night. He never told her which friend it was, for it seemed that she was kept a secret from all of his friends. Well that would have to have changed soon. For if she was going to spend the rest of her life with him, it was best that his friends were aware... To make sure he didn't do something as silly as cheat on her at brothels... But she believed in him enough. He would never do that.

Especially if he died that night.

The woman mentally kicked herself for thinking such a thing. He promised that he would, he promised that her hand would shine with a silver ring when he returned, that they would be free to love together forever...

But why hadn't he come home yet?

The silence of the room combined with her weariness made her imagination go wild. She saw things in her head she could never believe... right? She wasn't so sure anymore...

She saw him splatter against the front of a speeding car. She knew this couldn't be... that she shouldn't let her imagination take over her thoughts...

But the vision was so vivid. She could see his body fall helplessly on the cold, asphalt road, his blood decorating the street, the shards of glass embedding themselves in his throat... but none of those visions scared her as much as when she saw his eyes. For the first time ever, they weren't hidden behind a mask of self-confidence... For the first time ever she saw a forbidden emotion in his eyes.

She saw fear.

After another hour, her heart finally lost the battle to her eyes, and she slept...

And woke up to a police man coming towards her door, hat off and head bent down...

It just wasn't fair.

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The woman strived to leave that town; this town of memories dipped in a coat of pain... No, she did not want to be there anymore. She took herself, and only herself with her as she left for a new place, a new home somewhere faraway. She planed to take a ferry from the Southern port of Hokkaido... Maybe stop at an inn that night and rejuvenate herself as to prepare for the long traveling ahead.

She traveled by a rented violet vehicle, called a car by some, and drove towards the direction she looked for.

When the sky began to darken, the woman thought of the inn she would spend the night. She drove down a thin, tree-lined road, and after some time reached such an inn. She silently stepped out of her car, approached the counter, and rung the small bell...

To meet the most handsome man she had ever seen.

To be continued.

Cool! Next chapter the fun stuffies start!! Who will die first and so on!! So anyway guys, PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	6. A Meeting

The Inn of Murder

Chapter 6- a meeting

By Misao's Angel

Eyes of amber glared into the sorrow contained in those of a dark brown. A moment was lost in their interpret exchange of glances, but such was only a fleeting moment, destroyed quickly by the uneasiness of the situation. Locks of a blood red frame the face of the impatient man, as they easily escaped the useless violet tie that held his hair in a high ponytail. Both faces appeared apathetic... for both were a master of deception, a genius when it came to masking unwanted emotions. Anyone who met these two would believe they lacked emotion altogether, that their hearts were just objects to pump blood, nothing more. But if one were to look closer, to see beyond outward appearances and look deeper... they would find the root of all suffering growing in their helpless souls. But even if an expression can hide a heart, the true key to the soul hid in the eyes. And when these two first met, eye-to-eye, at once they knew what secrets the other held. And strangely enough, the two found their almost completely opposite situations to boil down to the same pain. Loneliness.

The man began to grow irritated, his eyes burning with the flame of anger. He held a hidden object underneath the old yukata he was wearing, and when he pulled it from it's hiding place, the familiar shape and size let her know just what it was. The man was holding a tanto... he planned to kill her.

He placed the small dagger less than an inch from her jugular, waiting for the expression to change, waiting for the masked fear to rise to the surface of her impassive face. But none so could be found. Her eyes remained dark and lonely, but in a way, pleased. It almost seemed that... that she _wanted_ to die...

Footsteps began sounding on the old wooden stairway connecting to the room. Whether it was fear or uncertainty, the man with amber eyes sped almost impossibly fast, disappearing from the room without daring to impede his pace. Alone in the room stood the woman, allowing her dark chocolate eyes to ponder the situation. 'This man... might he... might he feel the same pain as I?"

But her silence didn't last long, for it appeared that the owner of the inn, a young, beautiful woman with a dark violet shade of hair, had returned to her place behind the front desk.

"Hello Miss. How may I help you?" She asked politely, with a gentle smile on her lime painted lips.

The woman with the dark brown eyes, called "Tomoe", looked quickly at the woman, and after a short amount of time, replied, "May I stay here for a night?"

The owner of the inn bowed politely, and smiled once again. "Sure. You're lucky though, this is our last room." The woman asked a few personally questions, such as the location of her last home, her name and so on; and once she had finished, she took a key from a locked drawer and handed it to Tomoe.

As they were approaching the stairs, the woman by the name of Yumi began to make useless conversation, for the reason Tomoe liked to believe was just to hear her own voice. "Usually this inn is so empty... people have the tendency to believe it's haunted, since this inn is the grave of my late husband, during that fire so many years ago... but for some odd reason so many visitors have been coming recently. Strange isn't it?"

Tomoe had lost interest in the woman's conversation long before she started it. All she wanted was somewhere new to stay in order to remove that pain in her heart. Not to listen to some long, useless story about some woman's troubles.

The woman continued, "Oh yes. My name is Shishio Yumi. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

And when she followed Shishio-san up those cold stairs... She found that this just might not be exactly what she expected.

--------

Kamiya Kaoru nervously paced around her borrowed room, imagining impossible ways to raise the money needed to travel much further. And more importantly, to _buy_ the medicine she was seeking. After what seemed like forever, she gave up on it for the moment, and prepared herself for the night ahead. But just as she lowered her body onto the mattress, she heard a knock on her door. Reluctantly she rose, and walked towards the sound of the knock, dragging her tired feet.

"Yes?" She asked tiredly.

"Gomen if I had bothered you..." replied a gentle male voice, "But as roommates for a couple of days, I wanted to give you this."

Kaoru slowly unlocked her door, and allowed the man in. He had a slim slight body, only about an inch taller than Kaoru herself, and she was never known for her height. But his face was undoubtedly beautiful, with all the features the perfect size and shape in comparison to everything else. It was like a painting, placed together with a skilled hand, painted in order to create a face to perfect to exist in the world as it was. But what was most mesmerizing about his appearance was his beautiful violet eyes, filled with so much kindness. Kaoru could not help staring at this beautiful stranger, yet not noticing that he was returning it. He found a innocence to her he had never seen before, which in away attracted him to her in a way he could never explain. Before too long, the two realized awkwardness of the situation, and turned away with red faces. Soon after the man remembered the reason he had visited in the first place. He held out his hand, and inside his small palm he held a bag full of sugar cookies.

"Please accept these!" he asked bowing. "My name is Himura Kenshin. I'm a detective here in order to investigated the possibility of a past murderer rising again..." He stopped there, realizing that he was giving away too much, and to a woman he had only just met as well. What was wrong with him? But for some reason, he felt that he could trust her.

The two engaged in a long conversation, saying so much yet truly nothing at all. It was strange really. Despite the fact that both learned nothing of each other through the conversation, both returned to their bed blushing that night, un able to think of anything but each other.

To be continued.

So, sorry I took so long to update, but with school starting and all... well I'm sure you understand. Please review! As you can see, stuff is just about to get much more interesting! (Oh yes, and if you have any ideas, feel free to share them. ) Well, please review everybody! Next chapter you find the mysterious amber eyed stranger (if you don't know who that is I feel sorry for you) and Tomoe growing closer, as Kenshin and Kaoru slowly discovering their own feelings. Mean while Sanosuke and Misao enter the story again, and so on so forth. See you all then!


	7. An Endless Flow Of Time

The Inn Of Murder

Chapter 7- An Endless Flow Of Time

By Misao's Angel

She couldn't wait. Two more days... two more days and finally, finally she could meet him. The happiest moment of her life was coming, and she couldn't let it pass. Today she would spend preparing for the moment of which she still lived, the moment in which she lived for. She would dream of such a moment, such an important encounter, such a anticipated meeting. So she decided to buy her self-assurance, to make sure everything went as planned. She would but make-up, jewelry, new clothes, she would buy the scam in which society claimed to be beauty, claimed to be the reason love existed. Her case was another victory for this lucrative scam of society, but if it worked, then that was something she didn't mind.

But she didn't know where to go. So she asked an adult in the same position she was inn, sleeping in the same inn. She would ask this experienced individual, who undoubtedly made such purchases her self. This individual was an older woman, aged around early twenties, with a kind smile and eyes so mesmerizing, for they lacked light, as if they absorbed the darkness of the room. She was kind though, and politely gave the young girl directions. The girl thanked her with a sweet, innocent smile, and left in the said direction, un aware of what was to come.

A man by the age of nineteen awoke in an unknown bed, confused, and a little scared. All he could remember was the scare of the night before, and... oh yes! Katsu! He had to see if he was ok... He had to check if his best friend survived... The man began to rise from the bed in which he lay, and placed tired legs on the cold wooden floor. He stood to his full height, and steadied his weight upon his poor throbbing feet... only to fall with a sudden spark of pain. Shit... some how... he hurt his ankle... was it last night? When he was running? Why didn't he feel it? Did the fear of being caught drown that pain? Whatever the reason, he couldn't walk, and that was the problem. There was no way he'd be able to return to his hometown anytime soon... He would have to wait at least two days before he would fully recover. And that was if he was lucky. Great... two days of just laying around doing nothing... practically the opposite of what he usually did, for he was one of those people who can't sit still for more than a minute. Though even a minute was stretching it... So sitting there, doing nothing... that really didn't appeal to him. He had to find out where he was, and what he was doing there. So, he did what first came to his mind, and yelled for a hostess.

The dark haired woman stood waiting for someone unsaid, on spoke of, one who neither shared nor reserved any compassion... but why did she wait for him? The reason was un reasonable, un logical, yet still made perfect sense to all who shared those feelings before. After one brief meeting, this woman had fallen in love. But why? Was her heart this feeble? Was her late love of only a day that meaningless to her? Was she always in need of assistance, of someone to love her? This simple questions she wondered her self, as she lay in wait beneath the stars. Only her heart gave a hint he'd even appear in such a remote place, but it was her heart in which she trusted, her heart in which she believed. So she waited. And even after the bitter cold reduced her apathetic features so a slight frown, and her slender arms to shake in the protection of this unwanted feeling, she waited, under the stars, for the appearance of one she didn't even know was coming. And once again her reputation of apathy threatened to fall once again, as she barely concealed the smile that came when he finally did arrive.

He was dressed in very fitting attire, completely dark in color; a long thick coat, a turtle-neck sleeveless top, and tight vinyl pants hugging his strong yet thin legs. Yet, in complete contrast, his blood red locks combined with his bright amber eyes made him impossible to miss. He wandered the darkness like a feline of the night, remaining beautifully stealth and silent, as though he were born for it. And if such an accusation was said, none who had experienced this beauty with their own eyes could ever appose. He was a creature of the night, a bringer of death. He was whom she longed for.

The two sat under the stars for what in meaning was years, yet in life just four hours. Yet these two spoke nothing, uttered no sound; they just sat near each other gazing upon the beauty of the midnight sky. Though if words were said, the meaning of those hours would be cut in half; maybe even infinitely less. For these silent hours started with two strangers feet apart in their gaze, to two lovers watching the stars in each other's arms.

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All right! My next chapter actually has the first DEATH. So yeah. I hope you guys liked this chapter, so please let me know! Thank you!


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